A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to articles for use in conjunction with the maintenance and repair of motor vehicles. More particularly, the invention relates to a protective cover that fits over the radiator of a motor vehicle while the vehicle is undergoing maintenance or repair, the cover protecting the radiator from damage, and the hands of service personnel from injuries.
B. Description of Background Art
It is well known to use protective covers placed over a fender of a motor vehicle while it is being serviced, to protect the finish of the vehicle from cosmetic damage by inadvertent impact of dropped or dragged tools. Representative of such protective covers are U.S. Pat. No. 3,298,712, Greenstadt, which discloses a fender pad made of a soft material that is readily drapable over an automobile fender, the pad containing a zipper pocket for holding tools.
Radke, U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,824, discloses a protective fender cover including in an upper marginal portion thereof means for securing the cover to a vehicle fender by frictional, mechanical and magnetic connections.
Olson, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,290,618, discloses an automobile fender protector that includes flexible terminal hooks at opposite ends of the upper margin of the protector to secure the protector to structural elements under the raised hood of the vehicle.
Gurbacki, U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,678, discloses a dirt and grease protective cover for the rear of an automobile, which is mounted in the trunk of a vehicle by hook and loop fasteners so that it may fold out and cover the rear of the automobile when loading or removing articles from the trunk, thereby protecting a person from coming into contact with a dirty automobile surface while loading and unloading the trunk.
Dismuke, U.S. Pat. No. 5,195,778, discloses a car utility apron having a central front section and two side sections which are draped over the front and fenders respectively, of an automobile with the hood raised, the apron being held in place by hooks at the top edge and an elastic band and another set of hooks at the bottom edge. The front of the apron has the upper half cut out and replaced with a "webbing" of open mesh material, allowing air to flow through the radiator if the engine is running while the apron is in place. The sides of the apron contain pockets for storing tools.
The protective covers cited in relevant prior art references above may serve their intended functions, of protecting fenders and other external portions of a vehicle while it is being serviced. However, the present inventor has identified another problem area in servicing motor vehicles, that motivated his development of a protective cover of substantially different structure and function from the protective covers disclosed in the prior art.
In performing routine maintenance, replacement or repair of engine components located in the engine compartment of a motor vehicle, the radiator of the vehicle is often problematic. Since the radiators of most modern vehicles utilize a heat exchanger core comprising a myriad of honeycomb cells made of sharp, thin, fragile aluminum or copper sheet metal, the radiators may be easily damaged by inadvertent impact by a wrench handle or other tool part. Such damage can necessitate costly and time consuming repairs. Moreover, radiator cores present a hazard to mechanics, the sharp heat exchanger fins being responsible for numerous cuts and hand injuries, when accidently contacted by a mechanic performing maintenance or repair near the radiator. Also, it is sometimes necessary to perform maintenance tasks on a vehicle while the radiator is still hot, resulting in the possibility of inflicting burns as well as cuts. Aside from the discomfort and inconvenience to the mechanic, such injuries are costly to vehicle repair facilities, because of down-time, medical and insurance expenses. In view of the potential for injuries to mechanics, and/or damage to the radiator of a motor vehicle by inadvertent contact with the radiator, the present invention was conceived of.